This Guy's Garage - Tom Guarr

OK, AMC fans, this enviable stash of Kenosha's finest iron is for you. It comes courtesy of Tom Guarr, whose Michigan-based collection is one of the most comprehensive we've encountered. Along with more cars than we could capture with one panoramic photo, there are rafters of salvaged and NOS interior and sheetmetal parts, countless engines, and more authentic AMC memorabilia than there are dairy cows in Wisconsin. Guarr bought his first AMC when he was a teenager, and that was back when guys couldn't decide whether to wear their brown leather jacket or that shiny satin one with “Trans Am” embroidered down the sleeves. It's been an obsession ever since. “AMCs were cheap and the parts were interchangeable,” Guarr says. “Once you build up a little inventory of them, they pretty much fit everything.” Among the cars not visible in this shot is an authentic '68 SS/AMX factory drag car—No. 43 of 53 produced—a beautifully restored '70 Rebel Machine, a 10-second Gremlin drag car, replete with the Levi's interior, and an 8-second, nitrous-fed AMX door-slammer. Yeah, this place has everything. There's probably even a Kelvinator fridge in there somewhere.

1. This '69 AMX was a race car for most of its life and has accumulated only 25,000 miles. It will soon receive a 600hp 401 matched with a 727 TorqueFlite.

2. Way back in the corner is another partially restored SC/Rambler, this time in the "B" paint scheme.

3. Another rare AMC performer, this '70 Javelin Mark Donohue Edition is one of 2,501 built. AMC needed to build at least 2,500 to homologate the car and its rear spoiler for SCCA Trans Am use. Guarr found it in St. Louis, and it's a former AMC club show winner. He's owned it for more than 15 years.

4. Another partially completed muscle-car resto—this one a '69 Hurst SC/Rambler. Powered by a 315hp 390 and fitted with unique features such as staggered rear shocks to reduce wheelhop, the SC/Rambler was developed specifically to compete in NHRA's F/Stock class. Only 1,512 were built and this one wears the distinctive "A" paint scheme, with the bold red body-side panels.

5. This SS/AMX replica sports a 401 engine with cross-ram intake. It's a runner, too, winning the East Coast Nostalgia Super Stock race in 2008, among others. Guarr also owns an authentic SS/AMX factory drag car (not visible here), which was built by Hurst, much like the Hemi Dart and Barracuda drag cars.

6. Here's the freshly painted '70 Rebel The Machine awaiting assembly. It's one of six Machines Guarr owns. AMC only built 2,326 of them.

7. A '70 AMX that Tom has owned since 1997—it has a built 401 waiting for it in the wings, pushing about 450 hp.

8. Another AMX driver, this '68 with a 343/four-speed combination. "I drive the heck out of it," says Guarr, who bought it, the white-and-black AMX, and the real-deal SS/AMX in a three-car deal.